


いろは歌 (Iroha)

by Fyre_flakes



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story
Genre: Arc 1 and minor Arc 2 spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Drama, F/F, I don't know what genre this is honestly, Introspection, Iroha finds a purpose for herself, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Build, almost slice of life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27279982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyre_flakes/pseuds/Fyre_flakes
Summary: Walpugisnacht is gone, the KMU is active, and Iroha has accomplished her biggest goal of finding Ui. But while basking in the aftermath of these victories, a new discomfort grows in her. Feelings long ignored, for someone else precious to her, rise during this time of relative peace. Where do they fit on her road to the future?
Relationships: Nanami Yachiyo/Tamaki Iroha
Comments: 23
Kudos: 37





	1. These fragrant colors blossom…

“Um…”

“Mm? What is it?”

“Yachiyo-san, have you ever thought of going out with someone?”

“Eh? No. I’m too busy to even think about something like that.”

That one innocent question might have been the start of it all.

Or maybe it went further back, to when they’d miraculously grown wings and helped balance each other a meter off the ground. The shock Iroha had felt had been outweighed by Yachiyo’s presence right next to her, their physical contact producing a confusing warmth in the magical girl. 

Or maybe it had started even earlier than that, months ago, when Iroha’s panic at the thought of being alone again had overwhelmed her, turning her desperation into fury at Yachiyo and the Memory Museum Uwasa.

Either way, she was now sitting on the Mikazuki Villa couch writhing with mortification, as Yachiyo answered, seemingly taken aback. She hadn’t been thinking at all when she asked that question and was simply curious, so Yachiyo’s surprise made her self-conscious.

“Was that... weird to ask about?”

“No. No, I just didn’t expect you to have thought of things like that.”

“Um, I don’t really. But you’re older than the rest of us, Yachiyo-san, so I thought you might have.”

Yachiyo fell silent, focusing on pouring tea for the two of them. Iroha murmured a word of thanks when her mug was passed to her, before taking a slow sip. This was the dark, rich, and slightly bitter taste of Yachiyo’s favorite flavor of tea, a variation of Earl Grey that substituted half the bergamot with jasmine. Yachiyo still requested that none of the Mikazuki Villa members use it without her permission, but sometimes, when she was in a good mood or wanted to cheer one of them up, she would bring out the fragrant infusion just for them. It was a little too bitter for Iroha’s tastes but she savored it. It was just one of many beloved examples of Yachiyo opening up to her friends, which made Iroha smile to see.

The veteran magical girl had opted to sit on the opposite end of the couch and was nursing her steaming drink. They were both quiet for so long, Iroha thought they had moved on from her embarrassing question. It had been a little too personal, she reflected.

Then the older girl turned to look at her. “It’s true I’ve never thought of going out with someone. There was never any time for that with school, witch-hunting, and modelling. But I have liked a few people.”

“Oh.” Iroha collected her thoughts. Yachiyo’s answer made her feel sad… and jealous? She tried not to think too hard about the latter. “What ended up happening with those people you liked?”

“We’re magical girls. I could never have been with someone normal. ...There was no point in telling that person. I’m over them now anyway; it’s been years.” 

She hesitated almost imperceptibly, a hitch in her breathing pulling steam towards her, before the transparent fog once again drifted upwards like a cloud. 

“Besides, witch fighting is so dangerous it didn’t make sense to subject anyone to that type of worry, no matter who they were.”

No matter who they were? What an odd way of putting it. “I feel like you deserve that type of happiness, Yachiyo-san. You would make whoever you’re with very happy no matter how long it lasts.”

To Iroha’s surprise, Yachiyo chuckled, giving that small smile which set her heart ablaze. 

“What do you mean, Iroha? Being with all of you already is happiness. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Felicia’s a handful and Tsuruno’s not much better, but I can’t imagine not having them in my life. Futaba-san’s so sweet and I’m happy she’s warmed up to her home here. Ui-chan tries so hard it’s impossible to not enjoy teaching her. And you...” 

The pink-haired girl couldn’t meet Yachiyo’s straightforward gaze. Her eyes darted from Yachiyo’s midnight-blue irises to the living room surrounding them. It was happening again. There was that slight leftwards tilt of Yachiyo’s head, that crinkling at the edge of her eyes, that made Iroha’s face burn for no reason. 

“...you’re very important to me. Even spending time with you like this makes me happy.”

“Ah, I like this too. I hope we get a lot more moments like this.” Iroha smiled at the older girl, as she always did even when she felt anxious or unsettled, with her eyebrows slightly raised in worry. Yachiyo didn’t seem to notice. Their conversation switched to more mundane topics, like how school was going for both of them, and the rest of the team returned from grocery shopping soon after. Felicia and Tsuruno started a rambunctious game of cards and Iroha forgot her nagging doubts while saving Sana and Ui from their excited shouting.

Later at night, those worries returned in full force. Ui was fast asleep on the bed across the room and she was trying to figure out the length of a triangle’s hypotenuse when someone softly knocked on her door. 

“Iroha, can I come in? I have a midnight snack for you.”

If angle A wasn’t a right angle, cosine(C) couldn’t equal sine(B), so then she had to set up the equation this way instead as h/AB = sine(B) which then meant... She sighed in exhaustion and put her pencil down. “Yeah of course!”

The door opened, and Yachiyo ventured towards her desk, balancing a small bowl of udon. She placed it on the inner half of Iroha’s desk, away from her scattered textbooks and notes.

She whispered, “I saw you were up late, so I thought you might like something to eat. How’s studying going?”

“Haha, well… math is hard. It’s going okay; I just need a bit of time.”

“Good luck. If you need any help you can always ask me or Tsuruno. I’ll leave you to it.” Yachiyo smiled gently at Iroha as she closed the door behind her. 

Accompanied only by worksheets and a warm bowl of udon, Iroha buried her face in her hands. She murmured, “How am I supposed to concentrate when you’re on my mind now?”

As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew what that roiling agitation that only Yachiyo could conjure in her meant. The way she felt around her wasn’t quite normal, not the most friend-like. Iroha might have been a naive, sheltered person without much societal experience, embedded as she had been in Ui, Touka, and Nemu’s hospital room more often than not, but even she knew of a feeling called “love” from her classmates’ gossip and TV dramas. It wasn’t the type of familial love she felt for Ui or Sana, Felicia, and Tsuruno, where she would throw all caution to the winds to make sure they were okay without expecting anything in return. Instead, it was that other type of love, a nebulous, passionate, and special bond.

She didn’t understand it. 

She didn’t understand it at all, but it plagued her anyway. 

She didn’t know when it started, as it could have been days or months ago, focused as she had been on finding Ui and saving the city. Surfacing as it did now during a period with no immediate threats, shouldn’t Iroha be able to happily pursue a relationship with Yachiyo? There was no better time.

It was just- there was no way. No way her feelings could turn out well. They had a good relationship; their relationship was the best even, as Yachiyo had declared after the photoshoot. But they were only family. That was all they had and it was a bond shared among the five Mikazuki residents, not just the two ‘heads of the family’. No matter how many times Yachiyo gave those simple and dazzling smiles to Iroha, no matter how great Iroha’s exhilaration was when they fought like one soul in battle, Iroha was only a younger magical girl to her, only Yachiyo’s former assistant and current team member.

 _‘Leader and team member huh?’_ Iroha thought as she tidied up her workspace. She wasn’t getting any more work done like this and the udon was going cold. Desk clear, she pulled the ceramic bowl towards her. Even though she had no appetite, Yachiyo’s cooking was too good to pass up. 

As she slurped up the noodles and pork belly slices (perfectly seasoned, with flavorful broth), she lost herself in thought. Why had Yachiyo sounded so proud when she said that? Was there something else she meant by that? It was a mystery to Iroha.

Maybe- maybe she could ask Yachiyo. Then that could be easily cleared up.

A memory flashed through her mind, of their awkward conversation on the couch from earlier in the day. 

...or maybe not.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer, just like how hearing Yachiyo’s full reply to her question had saddened her… made her jealous. She wondered if one of the people Yachiyo liked had been Mifuyu. 

That wasn’t what she should be thinking about. Mifuyu was their ally now, part of the Kamihama Magia Union and dedicated to their cause. Iroha had even healed her soul gem, because it was the right thing to do. Mifuyu deserved a second chance too. There was no way Iroha could regret that. Of course not. She wouldn’t let her emotions get the better of her reasoning. She didn’t even know what their relationship had been like before.

As she took her now-empty bowl and chopsticks downstairs to wash them, soft humming reached her.

_‘Yachiyo-san’s still awake… What is she doing?’_

Iroha peered into the kitchen. Mikazuki Villa’s host was giving a final wipe down to the counters, her steps light and unhurried. As she passed the cupboard, she paused to reach inside.

_‘Oh, those are Mel-chan and Kanae-san’s mugs… I guess she sometimes dusts them.’_

Watching her, Iroha could feel herself involuntarily loosening up, even the air in her lungs feeling freer. That sense of freedom made her feel like she could fly. But from experience, she knew the longing and heartache would start not long after. It would be better if she retreated until the kitchen was unoccupied. Retracing the steps to her bedroom, she quietly slipped back inside as if she had never left.

Just a few minutes later, slippered footsteps made their way up the stairs. They crossed the hallway, heading in the direction of Yachiyo’s bedroom, and then suddenly paused right outside Iroha’s room. She thought her heart would stop. There was a minor brushing sound against her door. Then almost reluctantly, the footsteps continued on their way, their pace just a fraction slower.

She waited until she heard the latch and locking of a room on the west side of the house before releasing her breath.

This was-

No, what was she doing?

This was too much.

This was… she had to stop it.

She couldn’t let this foolish crush progress any further. Everything Yachiyo did affected her, made her lose focus, from Yachiyo going about her business cleaning the house to her doing something as innocent as brushing a patch of dust off Iroha’s door. (That was what Iroha convinced herself had happened anyway.) Not to mention that this was Yachiyo’s house. She was already letting all four of them live here for no charge, with no expectation of recompense. Iroha’s dad might have been helping out with the money, but it still wasn’t enough. To take advantage of Yachiyo’s kindness like that…

Iroha felt sick. That just wouldn’t be right. Yachiyo had been through so much, lost Kanae and Mel, lost her team, lost Mifuyu before getting her back- how could Iroha even think of disrupting everything Yachiyo had been working towards? The team- no the family they had created, the bonds they now shared, she couldn’t just break them apart like that, as would happen if her feelings kept interfering. 

Deep in her heart, she knew this was what Yachiyo wanted. Their conversation from earlier echoed in her mind: _‘What do you mean, Iroha? Being with all of you already is happiness. I couldn’t ask for anything more.’_

Pursuing a relationship with Yachiyo was a risk and a disruption to their stability of their future. Who knew if they would work well as a couple? What if changing their relationship with all the potential conflict that entailed sowed discord among the others? What would they do if one of them died the next day? To the girl who was barely a woman, who had chased her past at the expense of the future, such a risk had to be undesirable. Iroha could sense the boundary that would be crossed.

For the second time that night, she held her face in her hands. But this time, something far colder and more resolute jutted through.

It was just a crush. Nothing that grand or big about these feelings. They would fade soon. They weren’t important. They didn’t matter. Embroiled in her decision, she was not aware of the faint taint on the surface of her soul gem, pale grey but darkening like all-encompassing fog.

Teeth gritted, she thought, _‘I can silence these feelings too. They’re a distraction to setting up the Kamihama Magia Union and making sure we’re all working well together. They get in the way of my current relationship with Yachiyo-san and the makeshift family we all cherish. They would cross a line Yachiyo-san has surely set and ruin what we’ve all been working for.’_

She gripped her manifested soul gem to her chest with such force that it would have shattered if it were an ordinary jewel. _‘I will silence these feelings for the future we’ve all dreamed of.’_

When she finally fell asleep that night, her rabbit plushie hugged tight against her and her face twisted in grim resolution, Yachiyo would have been shocked to see the silvery streaks lining her cheeks.

* * *

**_...but they will scatter._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this some time after NA's EOS was announced. I don’t know why, but probably in large part because I wanted the stories of these dearly loved characters to continue. It seemed only fitting then to begin this story just as NA’s closes.
> 
> This is the first real piece of writing I’ve attempted in years, so I would truly appreciate any and all thoughts + feedback. Thanks for reading and please enjoy the upcoming chapters too.


	2. ...but they will scatter. // Who in this vast world of ours...

Reordering a city full of magical girls was a gargantuan task, Iroha was finding. While collaboration between magical girls had long since become a necessity in Kamihama, and they were no strangers to sharing grief seeds among battle comrades, forming community-based pools of grief seeds that anyone could use regardless of total contribution was a different matter.

**We have to collect grief seeds for the former Magius too? - Masara**  
**How do we make sure everyone can get a grief seed when they need it? - Leila**  
**Onee-sama, why not rely more on the automatic purification system? That’s what we built it for! - Touka**

Iroha sorted through some of the texts she had received since the formation of the Union. Being old-fashioned, even if she had advanced in her technology usage, she had written out the most relevant questions in a notebook. They were all valid questions, some with implemented solutions, some without. Her thoughts were painstakingly laid out below each inquiry, to make it easier to keep track of their plans. Crossed out lines indicated questions she’d already texted back or answered in-person, while tally marks kept track of how many people had asked or suggested similar things. 

Messages were always flying in from the various Kamihama girls and then flying out again when Iroha frantically texted back whatever was needed. Who knew running an organization took so much work?

“You’re up early.”

“Eep!?” Iroha froze, clutching the notebook.

“It’s just me,” The other girl chuckled. A cool warmth rested on Iroha’s shoulder for scant seconds before lifting away. “You’re up earlier than normal I should say, since you always get up early.” The refrigerator opened.

“Ah... yeah, since Ui and I are visiting Sakurako’s meadow with Touka-chan and Nemu-chan, we wanted to climb the mountain before it got hot. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” She closed her notebook and put it aside.

_'There’s nothing to think about.’_

“Hmm? Don’t worry about it. I wanted to tease you a little.” Yachiyo was digging through the fridge.

_‘Nothing to worry about.’_

“Why are you up, Yachiyo-san? Another long modelling job?”

_‘Act normal. Be normal.’_

This was the mantra she’d repeated ad infinitum in the past week, since making her decision. It never helped the butterflies that peeled away from the bottom of her stomach, but she liked to pretend it did.

[A traitorous part of herself stated she missed Yachiyo, missed their casual conversations that ebbed and flowed like air and the security she felt with the older woman.]

[She silenced it.]

“Mhm. Ever since I asked for a schedule adjustment, my manager’s been on top of finding more shoots for me.”

Yachiyo turned around with the containers she had been looking for and placed them on the counter. “There’s still the same amount of leftovers as there was yesterday. Did you eat?” 

“I was waiting for Ui to come downstairs. Um, I’m only a little peckish.” 

“Come eat with me. You’ve been working hard these past few days. You need more energy.”

That was the type of thing she would say to Ui or Felicia (regarding vegetables), Iroha ruefully thought, as she obediently joined the villa host at the bar table. In the end, she couldn’t turn down a direct request from Yachiyo.

Yachiyo handed her a bowl of reheated rice as well as a bowl of miso soup. “Do you want fish or natto?”

“Fish, please. I’d also like some unohana.”

“Here you go.”

They started eating, just the two of them in a large room filled with the presence of many others. 

Sana’s favorite Mr. Purrs-a-lot cushion was neatly placed in the corner of one of the sofas and only Mokyu rested on it without Sana’s explicit consent. Decagon Ball merchandise was scattered everywhere, a constant presence no matter how much Yachiyo reminded Felicia to pick up after herself. Felicia always blamed Tsuruno for being complicit in distracting her. Their mugs were arrayed on the drying rack, the symbol of their family that they all took pride in (they should get one for Ui soon, shouldn’t they, Iroha thought).

[Just the two of them… in a large room with the reminders of how it couldn’t be just the two of them.]

Her phone went off.

“A text from Rena-chan…” Iroha automatically opened it.

“What did she say?”

“She needs another grief seed, maybe because she gave hers to Kaede-chan again. We have a couple left but after that we’ll have to wait for extras to be donated… I’m thinking of asking Touka-chan to find out how much impurity a grief seed can store before it’s full.”

“That’s a good idea. That’s not all you’re doing today though, is it?”

She smiled, imagining the fuss her “little sisters” would kick up. “Hehe, no. The four of them would pout if we spent our precious time together on “official business”. I wouldn’t be happy either.” She picked up the last piece of grilled salmon and popped it into her mouth, savoring the simple, salty taste.

“It’s nice to see you smile more.”

“Hmm?” She paused, finally noticing Yachiyo scrutinizing her. She’d let her guard down.

“Lately, you’ve looked worried every time I get a glimpse of you. You barely eat, you always seem preoccupied with one matter or another, and you come home late, unless it’s to bring Ui-chan home. Actually in the past week, I don’t think I’ve seen you in the house outside of making dinner or studying. What’s going on?” Yachiyo inquisitively faced her, a veritable fortress caging Iroha in.

“U-um…” 

She fell back on the half-truths she’d practiced on Sana and Kanagi.

“...There’s a geometry midterm next week so that’s what I’ve been studying for. Besides that, I’m worried about how to expand the automatic purification system. We have a grief seed donation system set up, as well as Sasara-san’s Magical Girl Rescue Network, but… We don’t have any idea how the purification system can span the whole world, without sacrifices. So, I want to do everything I can in the meantime. It feels like we don’t have any time to waste...”

“It’s a tough problem. Is that what’s been on your mind?”

“Yeah…”

“You’re not the only one working on this issue, Iroha. This is something all of us as magical girls have to work together to solve. Don’t shoulder the weight of the whole world by yourself.”

She raised her hand half-way, as if to touch something, and then thought better of it. 

“When something’s bothering you, let us know. We can help you. If you got angry at me for pushing everyone away, I’ll get angry at you for not speaking up.” She playfully tilted her head.

“Ehehe. I know.”

“What if I take over communications with Hinano and Kanagi? That should be less on your plate.”

She slowly chewed the okara-sauteed vegetables, before swallowing. “I can handle those, Yachiyo-san. It’s not much work. It’s more of how things feel to me... Thank you for offering though.”

“Of course, Iroha. We’re all here for each other. We’re like family, right...?”

She wanted to say yes, but Iroha suddenly found herself stricken mute.

There was a tense moment of silence.

“Onee-chan!” 

Iroha had never been happier to hear that beloved voice. Its entrance brought down the prison walls, leaving Iroha free to escape.

“Ui, good morning!”

“Good morning, Ui-chan.” 

“Yachiyo-san too, good morning.” Her precious little sister smiled beatifically, blissfully unaware of what fate she’d saved her sister from.

“Are you looking forward to your outing today? It sounds fun.”

“Yeah! I haven’t seen Nemu-chan or Touka-chan in days! It’s been even longer than that for Sakurako. I’m so excited to see them again.”

Yachiyo chuckled. “Well here’s breakfast so you can eat up and be ready for the day.” 

It was as if the piercing look she’d turned onto Iroha had never happened. She wouldn’t have been able to guess that just a few seconds ago, Yachiyo had spoken to her with half the cadence of a wounded animal.

The rest of breakfast time passed uneventfully, Ui’s chatter serving as a buffer between Iroha and Yachiyo’s inquiries. 

Iroha’s mind furiously spun. What should she do? Had Yachiyo noticed something different in how she acted towards the older girl? Should she keep playing off her distractibility and distance as nothing, just the byproducts of a busy schedule? She didn’t want to lie to Yachiyo but the truth would only burden her. [She didn’t want Yachiyo to hate her.] What was the right course of action…?

Was it hypocritical of her to keep Yachiyo in the dark, when she would want to be confided in if their positions were reversed? 

Some resolved part of her asserted her truth, however. She couldn’t let Yachiyo know. She really, really couldn’t. In the future that was laid out for all of them, her feelings in this matter were unimportant.

* * *

“Ui-chan, Iroha, enjoy yourselves out there. I’ll see you later.” Iroha carried the bag with their lunch and other miscellaneous items, while Ui put her hat on. They waved goodbye as they left the house.

Iroha could feel Yachiyo’s gaze lingering on her long after they’d boarded the bus. 

* * *

“Wahhh, look! They’re so pretty, Onee-chan!” Ui exclaimed as she pointed at the clump of flowers. Iroha crouched to match her sister, who was stroking the mauve petals in amazement.

“Yeah they are. They’re called wood poppies. You’ve never seen them before right?”

“Nuh-uh. I don’t remember them among any of the flowers you brought us, and I remember all of the ones you gave because they’re special.”

Iroha gave her a side hug. “Mom and Dad showed me these once. We went hiking and Dad pointed them out. But you know how unathletic Dad is, so that’s all I learned that day.” Iroha briefly laughed.

Ui joined in. “Yeah I remember! There was that one time he was so out of breath because he took the stairs instead of using the elevator.”

“Mom scolded him and then we all laughed together.” Iroha smiled upon remembering, but then sighed and stood up, signaling the continuation of their hike. “I wish they could visit soon so we can spend time together. Last New Year’s they already couldn’t make it, but now that you’re here, it would be really special to spend the new year together.”

“I think so too. But being with you and everyone else at Mikazuki is also wonderful; I’m making all of these new memories that we could only dream of in the hospital.”

Mikazuki Villa... their makeshift family.

“Do you like it here, Ui?”

“Yeah! Everyone’s so nice and I feel like I’ve always belonged here.”

[ It wasn’t her little sister’s words that triggered it--it was from something else instead. Something that dislodged inside of her, like a blood clot that wasn’t fully healed.]

[ Just what was this hole that opened inside of her? ]

[ ...Or had it always been here?]

“I’m glad, Ui. You’ve been through a lot and this is the least you deserve.”

A shadow passed over Ui’s face, perhaps from the blockage of the sun by a tree’s foliage, and it disappeared once they walked out of the tree cover.

“Yeah! I want to live happily with everyone forever and ever!”

Iroha patted her sister’s head, trying not to stumble over any small rocks lying on the path while she did so. “It’s what we’re going to do. Onee-chan promises you that.”

“What about you, Onee-chan? Everyone agrees that your idea of working together so we can live in harmony with Kyubey, without having to fight witches, is for the best, but is there anything you want besides that?”

Scattered thoughts flashed through her mind, like sunbeams peeping through the forest canopy, [of the six of them freed from the danger of being magical girls, of Yachiyo thanking her with admiration in her eyes, of Yachiyo _loving_ her,] but nothing concrete appeared.

“I’m happy just having you back, Ui.” 

“No, no, that can’t be all, Onee-chan! You’ve fought so hard for me and everyone else. There has to be something you want for yourself!”

“I do want to spend the New Years with you, Mom, and Dad. Uh, I’d like to become closer to everyone in the KMU.” 

After some more thought, she sheepishly said, “Career-wise, maybe a nurse like I told you before. I haven’t thought much about it. My own goals… aren’t something I’ve considered often. It’s something we all figure out over time, I think.”

Her little sister looked worried.

“Is something wrong? Did you ask because you still feel you have to compare yourself to Touka-chan and Nemu-chan?”

“That’s not it! I know what I want to do now. I want to be a music teacher! But Onee-chan… I asked ‘cause everyone’s a little worried about you.”

Keep calm. Now was the time to stay calm.

“What do you mean?”

“Sana-chan told me the last time you went witch-fighting with her, you seemed less energetic than normal. And when you took me to the fair that was really fun, but you’ve been so busy since. I think you should do more things you like and relax more often, Onee-chan!” Ui concluded, with her arms sticking out from her sides. Iroha had to hold back a chuckle at how she looked like an indignant swallow, a fluffed up ball of down that was all the more enhanced by the puffy sundress and hat she was wearing.

“That’s true, Ui. I’ll do my best to spend more time with you and Yachiyo-san and everyone else. Onee-chan just has a lot of responsibilities that are important for making sure our goals go well.”

“I might not be able to help with everything, but I want to help if I can!” There was that firm furrowing of her brow which Iroha knew meant she was determined, so similar to Iroha’s own mannerisms. They really were sisters, Iroha thought proudly. Ui continued, “Maybe Yachiyo-san can help too?”

“Yachiyo-san has her work, so I don’t want to bother her too much. She goes to the meetings by herself sometimes, when I need to study, so I’m not doing everything myself. I can manage. It’s not too much work and I like doing it, but I’ll ask her if needed.”

Iroha surprised Ui with a sneak hug, draping herself over Ui’s shoulders.

“Heehee, Onee-chan, you almost made me trip!”

“Sorry, haha. I have the best little sister in the whole wide world, and I needed you to know that. It’s thoughtful of you to be concerned about me, Ui. Thank you for worrying.”

[The hole in Iroha’s chest gradually expanded, its cracks picked apart by fearful beaks, despite her efforts to cover it with pure, white bandages.]

* * *

“Find out how much impurity grief seeds can hold? Of course, Onee-sama! That’s nothing for a genius like me.” Touka preened on her chair. “While I’m at it, I’ll discover how much magic is needed to maintain soul gems too!”

Nemu interjected from her wheelchair facing Touka, “Investing our efforts towards elucidating the purification system’s mechanisms would be more productive.”

Touka whined. “But we’ve hit a roadblock there. The little Incubator is harvesting allll the released grief in the city and we don’t know how it’s doing that! We can’t even access the core like we could when Eve was present, making intentional input of energy to shift the system’s configuration all but impossible.”

Cherry blossoms drifted endlessly around them. Sakurako and Ui weren’t paying attention to their conversation and were intensely concentrated on braiding flower crowns.

Iroha laid on her back facing the expanse of blue sky that covered Sakurako’s rumor space. She could imagine the world spun around their bubble, leaving them untouched as their relentless fate gnashed its jaws looking for them. If only she could clear the path to their future and scrub it clean of obstacles, leaving behind a gleaming road. If only [she knew what path to follow, if ] there was a way to [quell the uncertainty in her and] break [ ~~her~~ ] them free.

“Touka-chan, Nemu-chan, then how about we talk about that more during the next meeting? I randomly thought of it, and it’s just a suggestion. I know you guys will uncover the answer, but we should relax today. Ui and I brought lunch!”

* * *

“Do you know the way home from here?”

Her sister sleepily followed her off the bus. “Yeah I do! I walk home from this bus stop after visiting Touka-chan.”

“Head home without me okay? Onee-chan has some tasks to take care of.”

That woke Ui up. She exclaimed, “Already? Let me come with you!”

“Don’t you have plans to play with Riko-chan this evening?”

“Uwah… but what’s Onee-chan doing?”

“I’m meeting Rena-chan at the arcade to give her a grief seed. Then Kanagi-san told everyone the East-side girls have been pressed for time to clear out the familiars and witches in their neighborhoods, so I’m lending a hand.”

“We should go together so we can watch each other’s backs or find someone to go with you!”

Iroha took off the bag she’d been carrying, which was significantly lighter after they’d finished their lunches, and handed it to Ui. “I’ll be careful. When you get back, can you let Yachiyo-san know what I’m doing? It’ll probably be a bit longer before she’s off work.”

She hated seeing how her little sister’s body drooped, her shoulders slumping and her head cocked at an angle like a dejected fledgling, but Ui accepted her decision and left, turning to wave at Iroha a block away.

* * *

“Yaaaaaaah!” With the shrillness of a hawk, she screamed as she sent out volley after volley of shimmering bolts. The flying cage she was aiming at careened off-course. It rolled in midair, its wrapping paper shuffling in distress, and ultimately landed upside down, spewing out countless, colorful objects. Rings glinted on severed fingers, cute ribbons spotted with damning stains fell to the ground, and scraps of tinsel twinkled, framing the familiar’s trophies like a Christmas greeting card.

Iroha reflexively covered her mouth. But after so long, she was acclimated to the reality of witch hunting. She released a rapid stream of arrows into the familiar and its body collapsed just as the labyrinth did, taking the unfortunate human remnants with it. She silently prayed their souls would find peace.

Reversing her transformation, she put her hands on her knees, panting. The familiar was annoyingly fast, eluding Iroha’s attempts to maim it and the chase had dragged on for an hour. She had followed it so far, she could see she was right next to Daito Ward’s wharf. Though the sun was not yet setting, that glowing disc was turning pale, its pure, white light breaking into yellow strokes across the water’s dimpled surface.

_‘Maybe I should head back…’_

But going home meant being in the same room as Yachiyo, having to talk to her like they always did, and pretending her stubborn feelings didn’t exist. Why couldn’t she just see Yachiyo as a normal friend? This didn’t happen with anyone else, a naive comparison that lamented her feelings of helplessness more than anything.

Sighing, she straightened up, stretching her arms towards the sky. Just a few more familiars and witches. Surely staying out a bit later would be alright? She knew Ui was safe at home because Ui had texted her shortly before she entered the familiar’s labyrinth. There were no other loose ends for her to worry about.

_‘What about Yachiyo-san?’_

Yachiyo… had seemed concerned and almost hurt earlier today...

Filled with a sudden unease, she took out her phone and turned it on. “You have one new text from Nanami Yachiyo” lit up against her lockscreen background. Yachiyo must have sent the message when she was in the labyrinth.

She should have known.

“Where are you?” The text said.

She typed in, “I’ll be home soon.” Annnd press send. Off it went.

A ping let her know there had been an immediate reply, but she didn’t look at it.

It was okay. She truly wouldn’t be out much longer. She would make it back by sundown by heading directly westwards. Just a little bit more space, a little bit more time away from that one person [she wanted to be with.]

As if dimmed by the feelings pigmenting its host, Iroha’s soul gem released embers of rainbow sheen that shortly dissolved within the discolored interior. Even if she had been looking, the coalescing impurities were barely visible in her ring’s embedded soul gem.

Hunting witches, saving people, collecting grief seeds for everyone, and eradicating all witches through the expansion of the doppel system- these were the steps leading to their peaceful, happy future, ones she was taking right now.

[Why then did she still feel so hollow?]

* * *

Halfway across the city, somewhere in Chuo Ward, Iroha flew backwards. 

“Gah!” She crashed into the sandbox’s dunes, forming a sizable crater. Unsympathetic, the witch’s sandstorms vengefully spat dust everywhere, almost blinding her. She picked herself up and weakly fired a couple of shots at the witch’s head, which sunk into it like water soaking sand.

This was just like before, even though she was stronger, magically and mentally. Last time, Yachiyo might have weakened it for her, but she would completely finish it herself this time.

She couldn’t always rely on others!

Manifesting a spear of light, she sidestepped a familiar’s head projectile to run into range and tore through the witch’s torso!

…or at least, that was the idea. The clumsily-formed spear couldn’t maintain its form and snapped halfway through. She internally cursed and leapt out of the way right before the witch brought her incomplete sandcastle down on Iroha’s head. Beating her hands against the ground, the Sandbox Witch began vibrating like a bottle of shaken, carbonated water.

Now she’d done it. The witch was enraged and the state of her soul gem told her she didn’t have much magic left for powerful attacks.

Why was it always like this? In her moments of weakness, when she had nothing but herself to believe in, she became as fragile and useless as damp paper. 

_‘That hole in my heart, I thought I filled it once Ui came back.’_

_‘I thought I’d changed.’_

Her soul gem darkened until it was the shade of bruised wine grapes.

A gigantic shadow loomed over her, spasming in anger.

“No!” 

Sound and light buffeted her and something soft collided with her, sending her sprawling. When she regained her bearings, a magical girl wearing a beaded headdress stood in front of her, bracing a dome of water against a torrential sand downpour. The witch bore down harder in its attempt to crush the magical girls. 

“Iroha, you have to get up!”

“Y-Yachiyo-san?”

Straining, Yachiyo redirected the attack away from them, throwing the waterfall of sand back into the witch’s face. She backed up to Iroha without taking her eyes off the witch’s position.

“Are you okay? We should escape.”

Yachiyo was here!? Why? But this was no time for questions. 

“I think we can take it out, Yachiyo-san. I’ve almost got it figured out. I’m sorry for making you step in, but we can finish this witch together!” Revitalized, Iroha took Yachiyo’s hand and rose like dawn’s daybreak.

Yachiyo looked at her skeptically but said, “I’ll trust your judgement, since it’s injured. Remember that you promised you wouldn’t die in front of me.”

Iroha’s heart clenched at the undercurrent of fear in those words.

“I won’t. Follow my lead!”

They danced, arrows and halberds their stately accompaniment. With two magical girls to focus on and weakened from Iroha’s previous efforts, the Sandbox Witch couldn’t definitively lock on to either. However, its agitated status meant the sand beneath their feet came alive, betraying them with shifting, unsteady footing. Getting close was almost impossible.

Iroha glanced around them. Frightened by their mistress’s wrath, the familiars had rolled away in their little train formations, leaving the labyrinth almost deserted. She could finish the witch with one unblocked magia, but the impurities weighing on her gave her pause. She didn’t know if she had enough magic left to go all in.

However, sand quietly hissing from the witch’s abdomen area caught her attention. There was something else she could try.

“Yachiyo-san!” She ran back to the veteran magical girl, weaving between packed, earthen missiles and Yachiyo’s defensive maneuvers. “Lend me your power!”

There was no questioning, no hesitation. She took Iroha’s hand and power flowed through Iroha, a sublime wave crashing into her magical reservoirs. In a flash, the cloaked magical girl formed a massive halberd, three-meters-tall, and launched it at the witch’s unharmed side with targeted precision. The projectile completed the gaping wound, bisecting the witch.

Yachiyo pulled her back as Zenobia’s flailing shook the labyrinth. Her death knell was inaudible to ordinary humans, ringing instead on a register only magical girls could perceive.

The labyrinth distorted, its image wobbling like fruit jelly, and vanished. 

Sunset blanketed the sky in vivid orange and amber, and it was like the expanse of yellow the labyrinth had contained was funneled into the golden clouds. Had she been fighting that long?

Exhaustion hitting her, Iroha lowered herself to the ground. It almost felt like swathing bandages compressed her chest. 

Yachiyo reacted instantaneously and started in on her.

“You have some explaining to do. I searched the entire East side before I thought to check Chuo Ward. Show me your soul gem.”

“It’s not that bad, Yachiyo-san…” Iroha reluctantly extended her legs, so that her knees no longer covered the jewel at her throat. 

Yachiyo interrupted her. “Have you looked at it? If it’s this tainted already, you were in no state to go on a hunting spree. Why do you always push yourself to the limit? You need a grief seed right now. Do you have one handy?” Iroha shook her head. She’d given away the grief seed she carried to Rena. She hadn’t thought to bring an extra from the villa for herself.

Yachiyo looked back at where the witch used to sit. “This one didn’t drop any... I’ll contact the Amane sisters so they can call everyone.”

“Yachiyo-san, wait! I’ll be fine… we can go home and purify my soul gem there.”

Iroha cringed at the sharp glance Yachiyo tossed her. “That’s what you always say. And then you almost witch out after sacrificing your well-being for someone else, like you did for me at the Seance Shrine.”

“We have doppels, so I’ll be okay even if too many impurities accumulate…”

“Please Iroha. Just let us help you.” Heedless of her protests, Yachiyo tapped away on her phone. She said matter-of-factly, “You were the one concerned that doppels shaved away our life force, so how could you knowingly let the same happen to you?”

“...” 

_‘Yachiyo-san thinks I’m being overly selfless, but that’s not really it. I just don’t want to cause trouble for her. But insisting more would make things difficult right? She’d have to carry me because I don’t think I can move… I’m starting to not feel good… It’s like the heat in my extremities is being sucked into a hole in my body...’_

It was all Iroha could do to not physically react to the squeezing sensation in her chest, the circulation of air seeming sluggish even though that wasn’t the physical reality, and the difficulty breathing what felt like jaggedly cold air.

 _‘Is this what Ui felt right before I made my wish?’_

“Um. Can you, hold me, Yachiyo-san?”

Yachiyo fumbled with her phone. “What?”

“I’m, sort of cold…”

“Oh. Of course. Let me see. I’m going to pick you up so we’re off the sidewalk. If falling asleep makes it easier to expend less energy, do that. Mariko-san’s already on the way.”

“Did Tsukasa-chan and Tsukuyo-chan broadcast a message…? I didn’t hear anything…”

“I notified the group chat and Mariko-san was nearby.” Yachiyo kneeled and scooped her up like she was air. Against her better judgment, Iroha nuzzled into the warmth. Unfortunately, that led to her bonking her head against the half breastplate, prompting Yachiyo to transform into her regular clothes. 

She was embraced by softness, by the give of soft fabric and a warm, somewhat spiced scent. It was like cozying up against a heating pad. Even as the hole in her heart sucked feeling out of her fingers and then limbs, she could still feel the flaring heat rising from the other woman.

It was enough for her to feel safe.

Sinking into darkness, she heard Yachiyo say, almost in exasperation but with fondness, “Really, what am I going to do with you? You don’t take care of yourself…”

* * *

Faint noises roused her awareness, unintelligible while shrouded in thick tar.

_“--maki_---_ -- s-- ----?”_

_“---_s ---- -lee---- cur------_"_

She didn’t know how much time had passed. Had it been minutes? An hour?

_“--- ---- on ---_ Shi----_---- --- - j--- ---- ----ing, -- we_-- -- ----.”_

The murk surrounding her suddenly lifted and her consciousness surfaced as if from the deep ocean. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

The first thing to greet her was a worried face surrounded by black twintails. 

Upon seeing her recovery, the girl brightened and shouted, “You’re up! Just like starfish do at night! Badum tss!” Ayaka jumped into an eccentric pose. Were those… finger guns? 

“Huh?” Iroha said.

“Come on that had to be funny. I tried so hard to improv!”

Somewhere behind her, by the left side of her head, a calm voice said, “Mariko-san, I think Iroha’s too disoriented to fully appreciate your humor.”

...That was Yachiyo’s voice. 

“Right. When you’re feeling all better, I’ll put on the best comedy show you’ve ever seen.” Ayaka nodded firmly.

...So it was Yachiyo who had their arm encircling her waist and was keeping her upright? And it was Yachiyo who just took a grief seed away from her soul gem, its interior a rosy pink once more.

“Mariko-san, thank you again for the grief seed.”

“Did you give that to me? Thank you so much.” Iroha regained enough of her wits to remember her manners.

“You’re welcome! The KMU has helped me get out of a few sticky situations too.” Ayaka’s usually bright appearance slipped into an uncharacteristically somber one. “I didn’t know soul gems could get that dark. Anyway I have to go home before the sun completely sets. Take care of yourself, Tamaki-san, Nanami-san. Don’t forget to clean your sole jams or you won’t be able to sleep well!” She made the pose again, this time with a side serving of a wink. Then she walked away.

Iroha called after her. “You too, Ayaka-san.”

Yachiyo chuckled, her breath warm against Iroha’s ear. “What a ridiculous girl. Didn’t she try to make Futaba-san, you, and Ui-chan join her fan club too? But I’m glad she was in the neighborhood. Can you stand up now?”

“Yes, I feel all better!” They pulled each other up by the forearms. In a flash of light, Iroha’s normal clothes replaced the battle outfit she’d neglected to change out of. Yachiyo stayed where she was, arms crossed.

Only now did Iroha see Yachiyo had her hoodie on, a black one she said she would never let herself be seen wearing in public. Memories of fighting the witch together, of the moment when Yachiyo intervened, and of technically not seeing ( ~~ignoring~~ ) Yachiyo’s messages rewound in her mind. 

What a mess. And all because she didn’t know how to deal with her feelings. Not that she could tell Yachiyo that.

Iroha awkwardly played with her hands and tilted her face down. 

“Thank you too, Yachiyo-san. I don’t know what I would have done in the witch’s labyrinth if she landed another hit on me. I was pretty wiped out… You really saved me.”

“You’re welcome. Can you look at me?” 

Iroha reluctantly lifted her head, feeling like a chastised child with all the accompanying embarrassment and guilt.

The older girl perused her before pursing her lips. “...Let’s go somewhere to talk. You really worried me, Iroha. I think you know you could have been seriously hurt back there. You might not have survived such a strong hit. I’m not angry, but as your friend and team leader, I can’t ignore this. There’s something you’ve been keeping from us, which is now seriously impacting your judgment and safety.”

It took all of Iroha’s willpower to not immediately duck her head in response to Yachiyo’s declaration. “I understand.”

“There’s this candy store down the way that I loved as a kid with a park nearby. We can get something to snack on while we talk.” 

“Heh, are you trying to lure me in with sweets?” 

“Who said anything about that?” Yachiyo good-naturedly bumped her shoulder, mildly unbalancing her, but lightly so.

They started walking, with Yachiyo leading the way and Iroha half a step behind. 

Light, she felt so light. Maybe it was just the cleansing of her soul gem that was affecting her mood. Her ~~fears and~~ concerns still weighed heavily on her, but while she was with Yachiyo, they weren’t quite as overwhelming. It was almost like what she felt after she and Yachiyo cleared up their modelling misunderstanding over ice cream, sharing the chilled sweetness like they had their concern for each other.

_‘...Everything will be okay. Yachiyo-san’s right here with me, and she’s not pushing me away. Maybe I can tell her a little bit?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the beginning of a blossoming regret in my decision to write with honorifics. Knowing how main characters refer to side characters is the worst, because they interact sporadically or never in the main story, which is my main way of learning what they call each other. If I ever find official honorifics, I’ll update these chapters.
> 
> Some more fluff.
> 
> **What Ayaka and Yachiyo were saying:**
> 
> “Tamaki-san, is she okay?”  
> “She’s just sleeping currently.  
> “Use this on her. Shizuku-chan and I just went hunting, so we’ll be okay.”
> 
> **Ayaka’s explanations for her jokes:**
> 
> _Ayaka usually explains her jokes if the audience lacks her sophisticated sense of humor, but I wanted to get the story moving marginally faster, so she doesn’t explain in-story this time._
> 
> “Starfish, star - fish, fish - star; they fish for stars! Stars only appear at night so starfish have to get up at night if they want to catch any stars. Just like how Tamaki-san got up!”
> 
> “Soul gems, sooooole ggggggeeems, sole jems, sole jams. Jams like pajamas! You’d have to clean your sole pair of pajamas if you want to sleep well, just like how you should clean your soul gem!”
> 
> _…_
> 
> _You’re great, Ayaka, but you need a new career._  
>  \---  
> I’ve been sort of quiet on commenting on the story, mostly cause I’m interested in what people think and having you take away your own impressions first. There’s so much I could say though. I wonder if the brackets were enough of a hint?
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! Later chapters will be released at a slower pace.


	3. ...can remain unchanged?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, and the previous one too, can be read with or without looking under the bandages. I’d encourage you guys to try out doing both.
> 
> I wanted to add a “Konpeito” tag for fun, but AO3 kept on changing it into “konpeito - freeform”. Even if not officially present, that tag is there in spirit.
> 
> Also thank you to everyone who has left comments. I might not reply to every single one, so the number of comments don't get wildly inflated, but I do read them all. I appreciate every one of you. :)

Hakucho Lake lay before them in all of its watery glory. Yachiyo surveyed it, lazily resting her arm on the bench back as she drank her ramune. “I like how it’s fizzy,” was her casual reply for why she chose that sweet. When they were walking to the store, she had probed Iroha with questions, but she had relented since. A careful, measured twenty centimeters of distance lay between them, close enough to obviously show they were close friends, but not enough for Iroha to delude herself into thinking they could share greater intimacy than that.

Her own purchase from the dagashiya, a small jar of konpeito, was untouched. They were lucky to have caught the old woman who ran the traditional sweets shop right before she closed for the night. She was curious about the candy, as there were no dagashiya in Takarazaki City and therefore nowhere that sold traditionally-made konpeito. While mass-produced konpeito were widely available in different supermarkets, her mom wouldn’t have let her eat such unhealthy snacks anyway. The rock-candy-like sweets were shaped like stars, and they were multicolored, with the majority being pink and white, while some sported blue, green, purple, or orange colorings. She’d picked this collection because it looked like a rainbow, like those roads of light that only appeared with the sun after rain and warmed her up when she saw them.

She wasn’t going to eat them now, however. Sana, Felicia, and Ui would be sure to enjoy them too.

In the present, the two of them watched the sun set in silence, its last feeble rays softening like heated butter. Dusky purple descended on the lake that happy couples spent an hour paddling overpriced swan boats on. Far away from the horizon, the sky thickened to blue the same shade as Yachiyo’s hair, almost close enough to stroke but light-years away in reality.

Iroha looked away.

She said, “I’m ready to talk, Yachiyo-san.”

Yachiyo paused in her ramune consumption and set the bottle down. The characteristic marble inside clinked. “I’m listening. We can talk however long you need. Remember I asked Tsuruno to keep the others company so you don’t need to worry about them.”

“Um, maybe I should be more worried now with her and Felicia-chan in the same room?”

A laugh, her hoped for result. “I’ll call it a success if we go back and the house isn’t filled with new holes. Imagine, playing airsoft indoors while magically enhancing the pellets.”

Iroha chuckled at the memory. Then the lake in front and chatter of people taking evening walks behind reminded her of where she was.

She clutched her skirt, bunching up the fabric at the knees. How many other times had they talked like this? Not many. It was always during the heat of battle or the middle of crises that they took the time to bare their hearts.

Now she remembered why that was so. Even if magical girls were the embodiment of wishes and hopes, of feelings incarnate, divulging those feelings was just as hard for them as any other person, if not harder. Making passionate, confessional declarations was so much easier in the heat of the moment.

What should she say?

She started with, “There’s two things that have been sort of bothering me…”

“What are they?” Iroha looked at the rainbow stars sitting in her lap, trying to divine courage from them.

“I- I really can’t say what the first one is, but I can tell you the second.”

The other woman’s eyes narrowed, but she seemed to accept Iroha’s omission. “Go on,” she said. Her entire body was turned towards Iroha, which seemed uncomfortable on the wooden bench, but she looked happy enough to focus all her attention on the younger girl. Iroha’s cheeks briefly heated up at the thought, before the tepid, early-summer air carried the pinkness away.

“With the witch-fighting, um I did just want to help Kanagi-san and the others.”

“Yes, but why then? You were clearly running low on magic and you didn’t ask us to help even though we almost always fight together.”

“I wanted to be alone for some time… Sorry, I know that’s not a very good reason.” Out of the corner of her eye, the blue-haired girl shifted her position, leaning her head on her hand.

When she spoke, Iroha heard it again. It was the underlying cadence, the hurt and some other unidentifiable emotion, of a staggering animal. [ _‘Staggering? Towards me?’_ ] It was soft and unlike the older woman’s regular self-assured, commanding tone. “Please, Iroha. Whatever it is, you can trust me. We’re team members. We… I care about you.” The naked vulnerability in her words twisted Iroha’s heart into knots.

“I know, Yachiyo-san,” Iroha said for the second time that day. “It’s not that I don’t trust you.” She picked at a stray thread on her skirt. “Sorry, I’ve never done this before…”

Yellow light poured over Yachiyo’s features as she tapped her fingers against the side of her head. “...are you hesitating to tell me because of something I did, like last time?”

“No! Or not exactly… I mean it’s not because of anything you did. I haven’t told anyone.”

“Hmm.” The hard look she levelled at Iroha could have cowed boulders.

Fidgeting, Iroha said, “I recently promised I wouldn’t lie to anyone anymore, not even myself. You were there… with our mirror copies in Fendt Hope.”

“That did happen, didn’t it. Feels like an eternity ago.”

“Yes…” She hated her cowardice, how the words stuck in her throat and refused to tumble out in a comprehensible order, just like the her from before who smiled at everyone without speaking her true thoughts.

_“Yachiyo-san deserves better than this. Spit it out already.”_

[ _‘I have feelings for you. I’m really sor-’_ ]

[ _‘If I were someone who was fit to be your equal, would I be a better leader too? Would I not feel so hol-’_ ]

“Some things happened since then that made me feel like I’ve gone back on my word.”

“Like?”

“I tell everyone we’re working towards a future where we can all get along and no one has to worry about falling into despair. After we all defeated Walpugisnacht, everyone understands it’s possible for us to do even greater things. It’s true that’s what we’re doing. It’s true that’s what I want.

…

…

…

...I also don’t know if that’s true. Even though I’m a founder of the Kamihama Magia Union, I don’t know how much faith I have in my own vision. Is expanding the doppel system without sacrifices really possible…? I believe it is, because there has to be a way… but Touka-chan and Nemu-chan are running out of ideas. It’s been a month since we began operations. Whenever members ask for updates, I tell them the little steps we’ve taken or to not worry because we’ll definitely find out what to do. Inside, it’s like I’m lying to everyone. Because-”

“Were you lying when you made the speech during the inauguration?”

“Of course not! We will get through any hardships. That is our new purpose. ...That is, my new purpose.”

A gentle lilt to her voice, her posture just as focused as before, Yachiyo said, “It’s normal to have doubts in the face of such daunting tasks. You’re overthinking, Iroha. I know you’re someone who sticks to her goals without fail. I have absolute faith you will lead us in the right direction. There’s only so much each of us individually can do too. We’re held back by our lack of knowledge and more research is what’s needed.”

Under normal circumstances, Yachiyo’s words would have been enough to calm the uncertainties she pondered.

Iroha replied, “Er, but, sometimes I even think it’s okay to leave things the way they are…! Even though I know that magical girls from everywhere outside of Kamihama must be suffering because they or their friends lose their lives when they accumulate too many impurities. Even when I know that, I’m not fully invested in expanding the system... I don’t like these periods of selfishness.”

“That’s quite unlike you.”

“I’m sorry…”

The impeding darkness swallowed the tail end of her apology. Near civil twilight’s close, only faint shreds of vivacity floated around the sun’s gravespot. Color, while still present, was leeching out of the ground, trees, and sparkling lake. Her sugar stars were faded, bumpy blotches.

Shadows deepened under Yachiyo’s fine cheekbones and across her brow.

Her features darkened, Yachiyo said, “No, I’m sorry. Tsuruno’s been telling me I can be better with my words. I was trying to say this is unusual coming from you, as you’re the most selfless person I know, but you saying that isn’t a bad thing.”

Iroha hugged herself without thinking. “You never say things like that, Yachiyo-san.”

There was that hesitation again, that break in the rising steam.

“I’ve acted as a leader for a long time. Part of doing that is learning what others need to hear and what they don’t. More importantly is learning what you choose to believe. Even then I’ve had my moments of weakness or poor judgment.” ‘Which you saw’ went unsaid.

She knew of course. She knew Yachiyo was flawed, just like she was. But they were incomparable.

The older girl [she adored] was at once inscrutable, forceful, and intimidating. She was used to taking charge and being listened to. It was hard to speak over her. When closed off to others, she could easily become enmeshed in the comforts of the familiar and bygone, too stubborn or too afraid to take a step anywhere else. But as a leader, she was respected and her authority was a result of her experience, care for others and consideration of their well-being. As a friend she was infallible in her dedication, kind-hearted, selfless, interested in others bettering themselves, mirthful, and reassuring. She was skilled, practical, unafraid to get her hands dirty, good at everything, pretty[, beautiful, alluring]-

Ever since Iroha first tried to model herself after the model, the “Kamihama Mystery Notes” she copied from the older woman were always lacking relative to the original “Kamihama Rumor Files”.

It was truly frustrating.

“I do understand that. What do you think I should do, Yachiyo-san?”

“First of all, relax.”

Something touched her hand, light as a spring breeze. She stiffened, still tightly hugging herself.

“I told you before, didn’t I? We’re in this together. We’re… like family. Don’t worry so much, because even if you don’t know what to do, we’ll catch you.” A single thumb-stroke along the ridges of her fingers[\- a sweep of air to fan her heart]. “You don’t have to know what to do right now, just like what you told Ui-chan. I’m proud of you for getting this far. We would never be at this stage of expanding the doppel system through humane means without everything you’ve done before. None of us know if we’ll succeed but doubt doesn’t suit you. You unified an entire city of magical girls even while feeling this way, which is a major accomplishment in it of itself. You told me how you feel, and that’s you being true to yourself, not lying to anyone.

Here, lift your head, Iroha.”

As if mesmerized, Iroha let go of her death grip on herself and looked up.

“Much better,” Yachiyo said, appearing pleased.

Rude though it was, she had barely glanced at Yachiyo this entire time, much less properly faced her, because she knew this would happen.

[It was impossible for her to look away.]

Why did those blue eyes have to look at her with such gentleness, with none of the older woman’s customary sternness, while bathed in the moon’s glow? Why did she have to [feel so warm, her heat adding to the fire that Iroha couldn’t contain, and] be this supportive? Once again, her mere presence swept away Iroha’s shallower anxieties, leaving her breathing lighter.

[She thought, _‘This isn’t right. I’ve been weak for so long, now is the time for me to be strong by myself. Yet I can’t even do that much.’_ ] [The discordant notes played, plucked from her heartstrings by the knowledge of her inadequacies. It was weakness that pulled her towards Yachiyo, not strength. Weakness that drove her to love Yachiyo, to rely on her, and to avoid the gaping hole in her heart.]

[How she wished she could smother it all into silence.]

Despite herself, the tension drained out of her and she smiled. “Thank you, Yachiyo-san. I’m always relying on you. I’m sorry for worrying you earlier. I won’t do that again.” She scooted closer, until she could rest her head on Yachiyo’s shoulder. Yachiyo made no attempt to reciprocate but didn’t retreat either.

“I rely on you too, Iroha, all the time. So you have to take better care of yourself. If I have to check-up on you daily, I will.”

Iroha laughed, embarrassed. “That’s okay. I won’t need that.”

“Mm, I’ll be the judge of that.”

The city lights turned on, flickering like fireflies. Streetlights lining the park paths came alive, though far enough from them that they remained in a bubble of darkness. Fewer people wandered this way at night, which gave the local wildlife space to sing.

She could have drifted off to sleep, but the niggling voice coming from the hole in her heart urged her to say more.

 _“This is your chance. You can finally be weak with her_ [ _, your one true love_ ],” it [ ~~sneered~~ ] said. _“_ [ _Go on, tell her about how much you’ve thought of her in the past week, how even before she was the only person besides your sister whose opinion you truly cared about, or how seeing her m---- --- ---. Fill your hollow soul with the vastness of her ocean._ ] _That’s what you want isn’t it?_ [ _To be weak forever, to rely on her for support, power, becoming an adult-_ ] _”_

[ _‘No. Even if I have doubts and still struggle to be open about my feelings, I am stronger than before. I-I do depend on Yachiyo-san, but I can be weak with her, and that’s okay. She won’t be the only person filling my heart. I don’t need to hide all the hollowed out chunks...’_ ]

“Yachiyo-san?”

“Mm?”

“Do you ever feel like… you don’t have a purpose?”

One beat of distant, cicada-filled silence passed.

“Of course,” she said. “Haven’t we talked about this before?”

“Sorry... I don’t remember.”

Yachiyo seemed restless, so Iroha left her place against Yachiyo’s side, as comfortable as that had been. The model swept her hair to one side so she could take off her hoodie. Iroha averted her eyes, though she saw Yachiyo wore a simple blouse beneath that was beginning to stick from the humid air.

The older girl took the last swig of her ramune, before letting out a sigh. “You told me your feelings, so it’s only fair I do the same. Before I start, did you ask me that because that’s how you feel?”

Relief swept through her. Yachiyo understood. “Yeah, when I’m not sure what to do or my thoughts catch up to me, I feel, um... it’s like there’s a hole where my heart should be. It’s, really painful sometimes and I feel empty. There’s nothing around to show what’s in store for me. No goal, no vision, and no future, only me drifting alone, searching for something unknown… I know I have a future with everyone, but it’s not enough sometimes.”

She caught sight of the other girl’s narrowed eyes and her raised chin that suggested she was about to go on the offensive. She hurriedly continued, “It’s not that often! I feel it much less now than I did before. Being at Mikazuki Villa’s helped me so much… I can’t imagine what I would be like if I hadn’t met everyone.”

“Is that so.” Iroha wanted to smile at Yachiyo’s stern expression. She looked like a protective mother bear. Deeming the threat of no immediate concern, her haunches lowered. “Then what do you want in your future?”

What an obvious answer. “I want to get along with everyone and build a better future for all magical girls.”

[ _“Liar.”_ ]

Yachiyo nodded. “That does sound like you. Always thinking of others.”

If she wasn’t always paying close attention to Yachiyo, she would have missed the edge that crept into the border of her words.

Uncertainly, she ventured, “Do you not like that?”

Another sigh and a hand unthinkingly placed into the middle of their 20-centimeter-separation space. “I’ll be honest with you, Iroha.” She looked unflinchingly at the pink-haired girl, her head authoritatively tossed back. “I don’t always. You should think about yourself more. Ui-chan asked me if there was anything we could do for you, and I told her no, because I trust you to reach out to us if you’re having problems. But if you don’t look out for yourself at all, expecting that is pointless.”

“Ui talked to you…?” Guilt wormed inside her chest. So her little sister had worried about her enough to consult the other leader in their group. What sort of big sister was she to let that happen? The younger girl instinctively raised a hand to her sternum, where her soul gem would lie. Even when it wasn’t manifested, the action brought her comfort.

“Ah, I know that look. It’s not your fault, Iroha.” Yachiyo’s eyes softened. “We’re happy to worry about you. But you have to realize, thinking of others doesn’t mean neglecting yourself.”

“But I’m not neglecting myself… By helping others I am helping myself because that’s what makes me happy.”

[Weak. Liar. Weak. Liar. Weak. Weak. Wea-]

Something flickered over the blue-haired woman’s face, a tightening of her cheek muscles, a stillness in her perfect posture.

“Tell me, Iroha. When was the last time you did something just for yourself?”

A vague defensiveness oozed out of the hole in her heart. Who was Yachiyo to question her like this? [In reality she knew Yachiyo was only looking out for her, but rising fear made her prickly.]

“Um… I studied for my midterm. Doing well on those is important for my future...”

Even to herself[, especially to herself], she could hear how [ ~~pathetic~~ ] lacking her answer was.

“Does that really count?”

“Um, maybe not…”

“See? Isn’t that enough reason to find something you enjoy doing or find meaningful? It’s good to stay in-tune with ourselves to-”

“Yachiyo-san, with all due respect, I don’t see why it matters so much.” She stubbornly looked at the taller woman, wishing she was just a couple centimeters taller so she could look her straight in the eyes.

[ _‘Please, let this line of questioning end before it heads into unretractable territory.’_ ]

That got a reaction out of her. Yachiyo discreetly, or perhaps not so discreetly, clenched her left fist at her side.

“You-” She turned away from Iroha and took a deep breath.

A distant, timid part of Iroha asked if she shouldn’t calm down, as she’d never seen Yachiyo get so easily worked up. The stubborn part of her refused.

When Yachiyo turned back, she crossed her legs methodically, as if to give herself time to think. Then she said, strain evident in her usually-calm voice, “I think that was uncalled for, Iroha. If you’ll give me time, I can explain why it’s important.”

She should have known redirecting Yachiyo would take more than that… Just like her, Yachiyo was stubborn too when she wanted to get her point across.

While she absentmindedly tried to think of a new plan, Yachiyo was saying, “And it starts with everything you’ve been saying so far about feeling you’re lying to us, not knowing what to do, and feeling you lack a purpose. I’m proud of you for everything you’ve done and how you’ve grown, but I can tell you’ve been distant since the rush from our battle against Walpurgisnacht ran out, even while you’ve been involved everywhere. I know the reason why you feel that way.”

Did she really though…?

“It’s because you need to think about yourself more and what you want out of your life.”

Simple. Such simple words.

[They pierced the bandages she’d wrapped around herself.]

“No…”

That couldn’t be it, this had to be an unreasonably unfunny joke, one even worse than Ayaka’s. To have the one person who was most directly connected to what her weak heart wanted tell her this…

“No?”

She could have started crying if her heart wasn’t numb.

“I can’t. The future that I want can’t happen.”

Her conversation partner’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”

[ _‘Because of you,”_ she wanted to scream. _‘Because you would never be okay with it, even if you liked me back. Because you would tell me I should take more time to think about it in that soft, rain-like timbre of yours, and because I know I’m only attracted to you as a result of being weak, and you don’t deserve that. That can’t…”_ ]

She said, “It, just can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t explain more.” The dim, glass-sealed stars absorbed her attention. They shifted as she uncomfortably readjusted her sitting position. They weren’t at all like the shining celestial bodies overhead that created their own light. Without the moon’s illumination, they would be pitch-black and shapeless[, just like her].

Cicadas called to each other around their bench. Why wasn’t Yachiyo saying anything?

She peeked at the older girl.

Yachiyo was massaging her temples, likely contemplating her next move. Iroha would beat her to it.

She nervously said, “Yachiyo-san, I think it’s okay. There’s not much to talk about in my future anyway. Um, I mean considering the situations I’ve gotten myself into since coming to Kamihama, it’s probably better to focus on the present, haha…”

What a terrible joke. She cringed at her own attempt to lighten the mood. She considered jumping into the lake to escape, before remembering she couldn’t swim on her own.

There was movement to her left, and she happily whipped her head around, relieved to see Yachiyo was still functioning. “Yachiyo-san, ho-”

**_“ Iroha,”_ **

Yachiyo hissed, charged as a storm of black ice.

Blood drained out of Iroha’s face and fingertips. It felt like the surrounding atmosphere’s temperature instantaneously dropped below freezing. She’d never heard Yachiyo sound this deadly before, not even when they were battling the Wings of the Magius to reach Chelation Land.

It was the snarl of a frenzied animal.

“Ya-Yachiyo-san…?”

“What is wrong with you...?” Hurt dripped from Yachiyo’s voice.

“Huh?”

“I repeat: what is wrong with you?!” It was choked with anger, grief, and that other unidentified emotion Iroha had noticed before.

“Wh-what do yo-”

“Why are you being like this?! This isn’t like you at all!”

“I don’t-”

“How could you say something like that? ‘There’s not much to talk about in my future’? ‘It’s better to focus on the present’...?” Yachiyo balled her hands into fists. “How could you say things like that!?” Her breathing quickened. “How can you say things like that when---! When you’re the one--! You’re the one who-!”

Horrified, Iroha realized there were tears in Yachiyo’s eyes, slowly-released tears that trickled down like shafts of moonlight.

_**“How can you say things like that when you’re the one who changed my life?!”** _

Her brain stuttered for an unknown amount of time.

Then her heart dropped out of her chest and splattered by her shoes. Changed her life? When did she change Yachiyo’s life? What did she say wrong? How could she fix this? Fear froze her innards. She stammered out unintelligible fragments of phrases.

Oblivious to her attempts at communication, Yachiyo cried. In between her sobs, Iroha could make out the words, “You completely changed my life, you gave me hope in a future, yet you won’t even value yours?”

Iroha was bewildered. There had to be a misunderstanding somewhere.

“I do value my future… And I gave you hope…?”

“I-I can’t, even…!”

Her sobbing re-escalated.

Iroha frantically hovered next to her, too paralyzed to bridge the twenty centimeters of distance between them.

_‘Ohnoohnoohnoohnoohno Yachiyo-san’s still crying, Yachiyo-san’s still crying, what do I do!help??why is she crying-!!!”_

Panicked squeaking continued to fill her mind.

After minutes of Yachiyo crying into her hands, Iroha helplessly wringing her skirt, and cicadas cheerfully screeching with no consideration for their feelings or with any emotional delicacy, Yachiyo sobbed, sniffed, and slumped upright, occasionally hiccuping.

Iroha shoved a pack of tissues in front of her.

She accepted it with a subdued thank you.

While Yachiyo blew her nose, Iroha could only be grateful the park wasn’t frequented at night. It meant less potential for invasive, disapproving stares and no awkward requests to move somewhere else. Hopefully no police officers or neighborhood watch patrols too.

Done clearing her sinuses, Yachiyo looked for somewhere to place the used tissues. Realizing neither of them were carrying bags, she gave up and stacked them on the bench for later disposal.

She then returned to face Iroha with overbearing intensity. [Even when she was crying, she was truly beautiful, Iroha thought.]

Voice still thick with emotion, she said, “Alright, you’re going to listen. I promised to tell you my feelings and now you’ll get to hear them. You did give me hope and you have to understand why that’s important.”

Iroha would rather have focused on why she was crying in the first place, but this was fine too. Whatever helped Yachiyo get over what had happened.

“Um, okay.”

[Her heart hurt; her heart ached; something had happened that led to her hurting Yachiyo. She was scared of what she had done, but she had to be here for her.]

“I might have never said this properly, since you were confused. So let me put it this way. Iroha, I didn’t see myself having a future for seven years.”

“...Since you made your wish?” She replied.

“Yes, from that moment onwards, I believed there was nothing worth living for. There was no point in trying to enjoy the future when being a magical girl meant any day could be our last. My wish didn’t even come true-! The wish I sold my soul for...!”

Iroha wanted to ask what that meant, but interrupting Yachiyo when she was this emotional seemed like a bad idea.

“I clung to Mifuyu, we found friends who could ease our loneliness, but I never believed a future existed for me. I kept on modelling for the sole reason of trying to give meaning to everything I had been through as a magical girl. At least it paid enough to keep me going after my grandmother died. I kept on surviving because that was what I wished for. But what sort of purpose was that, clinging to a broken hope?! I didn’t even allow myself to have friends by the time you arrived. And… you did come along… with your stubbornness to find your sister, just like how I was desperate to find Mifuyu…”

Yachiyo trailed off, swallowing past a lump in her throat. Hesitatingly, Iroha reached out, inching forward towards her shoulder. Yachiyo took her hand in her own instead. Wings took flight in Iroha’s stomach.

“...Thank you. So just like how I was desperate to find Mifuyu. You were persistent, you were serious about rumors and looked up to me, and I couldn’t help wanting to help you. How could I not? I- I saw so much of who I wanted to be in you.”

Moonlight glittered in her eyes and on her cheeks. Iroha’s heart twinged. Yachiyo’s grip tightened.

“You weren’t afraid of the future. You always looked forward towards it. You never stopped believing in your memories to guide your actions. When complications arose, you took them all in stride and incorporated them into your new vision. Even when Touka and Nemu didn’t remember Ui-chan, even when Walpurgisnacht threatened to level the city, you didn’t stop believing in the future you saw for everyone. That was the complete opposite of me, who made all my decisions based on whether they would return me to the past. I spent an entire year cutting off my bonds and chasing someone who might as well have been a phantom. I was- so, so scared… of...”

She broke off mid-sentence.

Giving in to her instincts, Iroha embraced Yachiyo. She smelled like lavender and water lilies too, now that Iroha thought about it, likely from the shampoo she reserved for her work. Water soaked Iroha’s hair and collar, but Yachiyo took in only slightly wavering breaths and drew her close.

Yachiyo was… warm. It reminded her of the burning lighthouse beacons that called storm-battered seafarers home.

Muffled, Yachiyo whispered, “You changed all of that. You refused to leave me alone. You wouldn’t let me self-destruct by myself. You accepted all of me, my fears, my doubts, my belief that I killed Kanae and Mel, and told me to give myself a second chance, so that now I know my wish lets me inherit the hope of others, not sacrifice them for my sake. With your determination, you blazed a new path for me- for us. You brought the six of us together, as we are now, when I was too scared to do the same. Now, even if I don’t know what each day will bring, I have hope to face it with. There is… there are things worth fighting for everyday. I can even begin contemplating doing something with my life besides modelling. You gave me a **_future_**. I can’t sit and watch as you deny yourself the same.”

She wiped her eyes and sniffed, pulling away from their hug. “I’m sorry you have to see such an unsightly side of me-”

“Don’t say that, Yachiyo-san. I’m happy you-” [ ~~like~~ ] “-trust me enough for that.”

“...But do you understand, Iroha? Do you understand just how much this means to me? I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier but I couldn’t… I couldn’t and can’t stand hearing how you talk about yourself. It’s not alright. I can’t force you to do anything but please, please realize how much you’re denying yourself.”

She was regaining some of her composure. Hints of the leaderly sternness were returning. She firmly took hold of the pink-haired girl’s shoulders. Iroha automatically sat up, forced to look up at Yachiyo.

Such softness, sadness, and that last unknown emotion [(was it ------g?)] as she pleaded, “So please, Iroha…”

Iroha soaked in every detail. Yachiyo’s eyes and nose were rimmed with red, she sporadically sniffled and she appeared significantly younger and more immature. [The glint of confidence in her eyes took Iroha’s breath away. Her dark blue hair cascaded like a waterfall, reflecting fragments of nearby light; the heavier breathing resulting from her crying made Iroha cognizant of the delicacy of her breath; and the vulnerability inherent to this emotional outburst made Iroha wish she could wrap them up and cocoon them in the moon’s threads. Her heart raced, aching to be filled.]

[A snide comment from herself, _“--r----. Going to take advantage of her now that she’s on your level?”_ ]

[ _‘She’s never at that level. And neither am I.’_ ]

So this was what Yachiyo wanted to tell her, what upset the older girl to the extent that she released this river of emotions. Grief festered under covered parts of Iroha’s being, but above them, she felt cleansed by the flood.

A future… for herself… that solely considered her selfish desires… Could she entertain a fantasy that dangerous?

Yachiyo wanted her to do this, without possibly having any idea of what Iroha truly wanted.

What would she say if she knew?

[The same thing as Iroha had imagined before, without a doubt. That hadn’t changed.]

No, it didn’t matter. She would deal with things as they came. Right now, she had full permission to dream of a different future, the one that she couldn’t ever have imagined when she wished to see the future through the Stardust Time Viewer’s power.

[ _“You still need someone else’s permission to make decisions for yourself? How pathetic.”_ ]

[She couldn’t help the rise of shame at the knowledge that she was abusing Yachiyo’s kindness and twisting her words into what she wanted to hear.]

To Yachiyo, she said, “I understand. I’m sorry again, that I hurt you with what I said. I’m not sure if what I want is in-line with our bigger goals, because those are still important to me. But… I’ll think of what I want in my future.”

Yachiyo breathed out a soft exhalation of relief. She murmured, “I’m glad. This was a lot at once, and you’re probably tired too, especially after your long day and the witch fight. So just think about it when you can. I’ll be here if you need me.”

As she let go, her fingers traced hot-cold trails on Iroha’s skin that seeped through her uniform. Yachiyo blew her nose again, wrapped the scattered tissues in paper, and then said, “This has been enough for a month’s worth of excitement, don’t you think? Ready to go home?”

“Wait, Yachiyo-san. Are you okay?”

She looked surprised to be asked but smiled. “Of course, Iroha. This wasn’t what I expected would happen and it’s embarrassing losing control like this, but I hope something we talked about got through to you.” The skin between her eyebrows scrunched up. “I know you don’t mean to hurt us when you say things like that, but it does. It really can hurt. You’re precious to me. So, I want you to have the best future possible, not an overly self-sacrificing one that doesn’t fulfill what you need.”

Iroha dipped her head. [The doubts from that night one week ago were clawing their way back up. She shoved them down.] Checking her pockets to be sure her phone and other items hadn’t fallen out, she said, “Thank you for telling me all of this, Yachiyo-san. I’m grateful you did.” She finished her inventory check and smiled at the older woman.

Yachiyo gave a warm, if slightly watery, smile back. Then something caught her attention. “Aren’t you going to eat your konpeito?”

“Oh… I was going to leave it until I could share it with everyone.”

Yachiyo chuckled. “Remember what we just talked about.”

It really was absurd. Iroha laughed too. “But this is just candy?”

“I suggest you eat some of it now. Traditionally-made konpeito is hard to find these days. It’s worth enjoying for yourself.”

Iroha paused. This was an unnatural action for her to take.

But she thought about it. She thought about that different future she also yearned for, one submerged behind a dazzling utopia of peace. She thought about the pain she had inflicted on herself just in the past week and how much deeper she could gouge those scars if she chose to, wounds that her bandages would dutifully bind over and over. She thought about how easily she could imprison herself in the lonely solitude of unacknowledged mountains.

She wanted to be free. She wanted to _fly_. [Were those her true feelings?]

Within the minuscule glass jar, the candy stars glimmered under the moonlight. She could see the faint colors melted into them and vividly imagine the form of that light refracted into being by sun-fed rain. It gave her hope.

_‘I want to chase that road of light.’_

Without hesitation, she opened the glass jar, unscrewing the cap. Then she offered it to Yachiyo. “Do you want one, Yachiyo-san?”

“Oh.” She frowned. After some consideration, she pointed at a deep pink candy with light touches of green, the colors of sakura. “I’ll take that one. Thank you, Iroha.”

Iroha fished it out for her and then Yachiyo simply looked at it for a moment, before putting it in her mouth.

“What does it taste like?”

Yachiyo answered without a second thought. “Sweet cherry, maybe with a little plum or strawberry and a dash of bitterness. Sakura’s a complicated floral flavor, very light and delicate but can also be pervasive in a subtle way. It’s not my favorite konpeito flavor, but it’s close.”

It was cute how much Yachiyo liked her food.

“Which flavor is your favorite?”

This time Yachiyo took the jar from her and shook into her hand what looked like a solid blue konpeito. As she held it up, she realized the colors were more complex than she originally thought. While a vibrant cornflower blue composed the majority of the candy, a large portion of the konpeito was breath-takingly shaded, with gradients of blue to pink and subtle purple mixed in too. She wasn’t sure if she was imagining other colors that didn’t exist in there, of subdued green and sunny orange. The swirling hues drew her gaze to every point on the candy, as she strove to see where one color began and another ended.

Yachiyo was watching her with a pleased smile. “That’s hydrangea or ajisai.”

She was only looking at it currently and couldn’t yet taste it. But looking at those eclectic mixtures of colors, those disparate, random shades of the rainbow that still melded together so beautifully between the polar points of pink and blue-

She knew this was the road of light she sought.


End file.
